Chapter 381 Moving Out

Just as Christina was about to hide, the strapping man before her swiftly blocked her way.

“What are you trying to do?” she muttered warily, brows knitted into a frown.

Nathaniel narrowed his eyes at the woman like a hunter zeroing in on his prey. “Have you forgotten who you are?”

Has it slipped her mind that we’re husband and wife because I haven’t reminded her in a while? Is that it?

“Does that matter? You treat me the same no matter what role I play in your life,” Christina replied, looking calm, cool, and collected.

Whether I’m his wife or not, all he does is rob me of my freedom and keep a constant watch on me...

Nathaniel gripped the woman’s shoulders tightly, to the point where it seemed like he could break her bones at any time. “Can’t we sit and talk about it? Why must you keep fighting with me?”

In response, Christina pulled her hair aside to reveal the red marks on her neck. “Look at what you’ve done. Is this what you mean by talking things through?”

If he had even an ounce of respect for me, our relationship wouldn’t have become this bad!

By then, Nathaniel could feel the fury in Christina’s eyes as they burned into him.

The next second, he gently caressed the latter’s face and tucked a few strands of her hair behind her ear.

“As long as you don’t get close to Francis, I’ll respect all your opinions,” Nathaniel said, a lot calmer and softer this time as he attempted to compromise with her.

Christina furrowed her brows. The man’s hands were warm against her skin, and she had to admit her heart was softening. That said, it was still not reason enough for her to give in.

“Listen. The problems between us didn’t arise because of Francis or Yosef. Do you understand that?”

“In what ways are they better than me, then?” Nathaniel retorted. If looks could kill, his scowl would’ve slain Christina on the spot.

“You’re better than them in every way, but you don’t seem to be able to respect me the way they have. Please just let me go....

Even though Christina’s last sentence was almost a whisper, Nathaniel felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over him, extinguishing all hope he had left.

He lowered his head and laughed at himself, the fire in his eyes long gone.

With that, he grabbed Christina’s chin and kissed her.

The next day, the morning sun gradually flooded the bedroom, chasing away the loneliness of the night..

When Christina woke up, she could still feel a lingering warmth beside her in bed.

She was sore all over as she sat up, and it was only when she was taking off her clothes that she realized her body was littered with red marks.

After changing into a fresh set of clothes, she headed downstairs for a quick breakfast and left the house.

“Mrs. Hadley, are you going to the entertainment company?” the driver asked.

Christina leaned against the window and stared coldly at the scenery outside. “No. Take me to the city. center first.”

Meanwhile, Nathaniel was working on some documents in his office when Sebastian entered with a knock on the door.

“Mr. Hadley, Ljust heard from the driver that Mrs. Hadley has bought a condominium in the city center.”

Oh, dear... Is Mrs. Hadley thinking of moving out? Why is this fight of theirs getting worse by the day?

Nathaniel froze in his tracks as a cold glint flashed across his eyes.

Huh? Is she moving out? What about the kids? Can she bear to leave them behind?

“There’s one more thing...” Sebastian muttered hesitantly, prompting Nathaniel to glare at him and sending chills down his back.

“Mrs. Hadley also visited a law firm to consult about divorce matters... However, none of the lawyers dared to take on the case when they realized you’d be involved.”

“Get out.”

“Yes.”

Christina, on the other hand, was feeling good about her purchase.

Not only did the luxury condominium have excellent security, but it was also near the city center, thus making it convenient to get around town. More importantly, it was close to the kindergarten.

Since Christina was no longer the naive girl she was ten years ago, she knew it was up to her to dictate her future.

If she wanted a divorce, she’d first have to have her own accommodation.

Thankfully, she could easily afford the condominium with her current salary, so the property agent wasted no time finalizing the sale after showing her around.

Once that was done, Christina headed to the law firm for a consultation.

Alas, the lawyers turned her down almost immediately when they heard that Nathaniel was her husband.

Then again, such a reaction was hardly surprising. After all, who in their right mind would want to go against someone like Nathaniel? Wouldn’t that be akin to digging a grave for themselves?

Christina, too, didn’t mind that one bit. She had only wanted to learn more about the divorce process, so even if she couldn’t hire a lawyer, she’d represent herself in court.

After composing herself, she finally returned to her studio.

As soon as she stepped into the office, she came face to face with a beautiful lady.

Ah, I recognize her... She’s the actress from last night, Adeline Summers. She shot to stardom because of her latest role in a web drama.

“If you’re looking for Nathaniel, I suggest you go to his company,” Christina said without breaking her stride.

“I came here to order a custom-made dress from you. In attending a web drama awards show next month, and there’s a good chance I’ll win an award!” Adeline exclaimed.

The next second, she approached Christna gingerly. “By the way, what’s the relationship between you and Nathaniel?”

“We work together,” Christina replied flatly before turning to Rayne. “Could you check my schedule to see if I’m free?”

Upon hearing that, the latter whipped out her phone and looked through the work calendar. “We’re fully booked for these two months. I’m afraid we can’t accept any more orders.”

Christina quickly turned her attention back to Adeline. “My schedule’s packed. How about I recommend some other designers to you?”

Adeline, however, felt somewhat slighted by the rejection. “Hmph. Aren’t you just a designer? What’s the big deal?”

Christina merely glanced at the woman before walking to her office. “See our guest out, Rayne.”

Even when Adeline began shouting and cursing behind her, she couldn’t be bothered to argue back.

After closing the door, Christina sat at her table and browsed through her files on the computer.

With that done, she moved to the cutting table and got down to work.

Since she was dressed in a white V-neck shirt, the emerald pendant around her neck would hang out whenever she lowered her head.

The pendant was crystal clear, and given that it was made from the rarest imperial emerald, even a tiny piece of it would’ve cost a fortune.

As time slowly ticked away, the warm afternoon rays shone through the windows and onto Christina’s face.

Just then, an unusually bright light glared down on her, prompting her to move away instinctively. When her vision was finally back, she realized that what hit her couldn’t have been sunlight.

Without further ado, she took out her phone and zoomed in on the spot where the light had come from.

Huh? There’s an open window in the opposite building, but I don’t see anyone... How odd. I could have sworn someone was secretly taking photos of me.

Christina was about to rack her brains over it when her phone suddenly rang.

“We’re holding a meeting this afternoon. Why aren’t you here yet?” Francis said brusquely when the call was answered.

“Aren’t I just a stylist? Why would I be needed at the meeting? Don’t bother me unless it’s work-related,” Christina muttered, somewhat distracted as she craned forward to look at the opposite building.

“We’re discussing a new script, and it’s about the journey and growth of a female designer. That’s why we need your input.

“Fine. I’ll head over now.”

After ending the call, Christina picked up her bag and left.

Meanwhile, in one of the offices in the opposite building, a private detective was hiding behind a wall with a camera in hand, not daring to look in the direction of Christina’s studio.